Paltry Parties
American politics have become incredibly frustrating for your average Christian thinker, and not for the reasons you might imagine. (Strike average from that previous sentence, and replace it with “rare bird, the…”)
Basically, there are no options remaining in the two-party system that has overtaken the United States.
On the one hand, you have the socially acceptable Republican Party. It is the party of choice for all “good” Christians. Why? They have convinced people that they are the socially conservative party. That is problematic for two reasons. (A) They have not done much of anything in the past 20 years to promote the issues important to Christians. (B) Does anyone really want government legislating morality and making our choices for us in this country? Once upon a time the Republican Party stood for less government, but then some self declared Christian activists tried to change the party into a religion by force group that never really accomplished anything accept make the Republican the “right” party for “true” Christians. The main reason most Christians are still Republican is either because they have been told to be so by the people they let think for them or because the only alternative is the Democrat Party.
So is the Democrat Party any better? They sure can sound Christian. They are all about compassion and doing good deeds for the poor and the disadvantaged. However, the problem remains for rational individuals. They don’t want you thinking any more then the other party. If you dare to ask a question about their proposals or their “facts” you are obviously heartless and want people to suffer. To say, for example, that their version of health care is the wrong one is to be “anti-reform.” Don’t even get started on issues like the rights of the unborn. That issue has completely abandoned rational thought decades ago.
So, is there an option for the rational believer? A third party will never amount to anything, and to think of taking over one of the existing parties ideologically goes against the current might of the Mass Man. In the herd there is little room for an individual with a mind of its own.
Basically, there are no options remaining in the two-party system that has overtaken the United States.
On the one hand, you have the socially acceptable Republican Party. It is the party of choice for all “good” Christians. Why? They have convinced people that they are the socially conservative party. That is problematic for two reasons. (A) They have not done much of anything in the past 20 years to promote the issues important to Christians. (B) Does anyone really want government legislating morality and making our choices for us in this country? Once upon a time the Republican Party stood for less government, but then some self declared Christian activists tried to change the party into a religion by force group that never really accomplished anything accept make the Republican the “right” party for “true” Christians. The main reason most Christians are still Republican is either because they have been told to be so by the people they let think for them or because the only alternative is the Democrat Party.
So is the Democrat Party any better? They sure can sound Christian. They are all about compassion and doing good deeds for the poor and the disadvantaged. However, the problem remains for rational individuals. They don’t want you thinking any more then the other party. If you dare to ask a question about their proposals or their “facts” you are obviously heartless and want people to suffer. To say, for example, that their version of health care is the wrong one is to be “anti-reform.” Don’t even get started on issues like the rights of the unborn. That issue has completely abandoned rational thought decades ago.
So, is there an option for the rational believer? A third party will never amount to anything, and to think of taking over one of the existing parties ideologically goes against the current might of the Mass Man. In the herd there is little room for an individual with a mind of its own.
"A third party will never amount to anything."
ReplyDeleteIt certainly won't so long as good people continue to think this way, which, it often seems, becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy: no one likes the Democrat or Republican Parties, but then they say that a third party will never win, so they stay home and let the Democrats and Republicans continue their ruling regime. The only wasted vote is a vote for a Democrat or a Republican.
Hmmmm. Interesting. I remain unconvinced, but it would be a cool thing if enough interest in multiple parties developed so that we had several parties in congress having to duke things out... even if it simply meant that the government didn't get much accomplished.
ReplyDeleteInteresting read: http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/
I don't necessarily agree that a multi-party congress wouldn't be able to get much accomplished, but even if it couldn't, that is yet another potential argument in its favor ;-)
ReplyDeleteArguably, imo, we would get better results if no party had a majority because it would force parties to work together to accomplish anything.
And thanks for checking out Poli-Tea.
Yeah, that is what I observe about things here in Germany where they do have multiple parties. They always have to work with some other party to have a majority. Therefore, and this is very European but would drive most Americans CRAZY, compromise is everything. I don't think there is a single issue that anyone gets there way on because they always have to work with others to get anything done.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways it would be nice for one of our two parties to become a truly conservative/small government party and then always get their way... as long as I'm dreaming.